Bronze Tiger #53

I yawned as I sat on the edge of the bed, stretching my limbs as I retrieved my phone to see the time. 'I overslept...' I mused as I got off the bed and equipped my street clothes, making my way out of the room.

I had shaken Harley off my tail when I left the shipyard after venting my frustration and getting my prize and made my way to a motel where I could get some sleep without worrying about the crazy blonde slitting my throat or molesting me in my sleep.

She'd already displayed some modicum of self-control by not killing anyone in the shipyard, so I decided that getting some well-deserved sleep and rest was worth the risk of letting her off my sights.

The smart choice would have been to grit my teeth and keep the crazy bitch under my nose where I could keep an eye on her and make sure she wouldn't go on a rampage, but I was too tired and irritated to care about any of that.

Harley Quinn and Batman could go fuck themselves for all I cared right about now. I was tired of doing the smart thing at the expense of my mental health and comfort.

Worst-case scenario, Harley goes crazy, Batman gets pissed off and throws me in Black Gate or some other hell hole, but I'd only need to use my system to get stronger and escape or wait for the next mass break out.

Either way, I wouldn't be in prison for long, and even though it would put a dent in most of my plans, I could fake my death (which is possible with my current available classes) and start over somewhere else.

As I am right now, I'd prefer to stay in Gotham. Don't get me wrong; my opinion didn't change. The city is a fucking hellhole, full of gangs and supervillains.

However, most villains and gangs were just plain crazy regular people. Batman would have been long dead if he had to deal with Metropolis or New York City level rogues every time he went patrolling or responded to an incident.

I could go somewhere with no superhuman activity, but I needed the conflict to grow my skills and grow stronger and Gotham, crawling with thugs and supervillains as it is, was the safest dangerous place, if that made any sense.

Long story short, I was sick of walking on eggshells, and even though I'd still do my best to find the real culprit behind this mess, I wouldn't push myself that much again.

"Here you go..." I remarked, leaving the key on the reception desk as I turned to leave the motel.

...

The Batcave

"So, what do you think...?" Batgirl asked with a sigh, messaging her sore shoulder after multiple long hours of working on the Bat computer, trying to get to the bottom of the mess.

"The kid is smart, quick with his thinking and feet..." Nightwing replied as he got off his bike, removing his domino mask and revealing the frown on his face.

"He's superhuman, and the way he fought suggests he has some experience and formal training, but..." he added, sighing as he shook his head in dismay.

"He's green, inexperienced, and malleable. He shouldn't be in contact with a nutcase like Harley Quinn..." Nightwing remarked, running a hand through his short black hair in frustration.

"If it were up to me, I'd immediately throw Harley back into Blackgate where she belongs, drag the kid by the ear and throw him into the Titans' tower..." he concluded, clicking his tongue in annoyance at the ridiculous situation.

"What do you mean, Dick?" Barbara asked, tilting her head in confusion as she regarded Nightwing with a puzzled look while following as the latter walked to the Batcomputer.

"With how she usually acts and her choice of company, it's easy to forget that Harley Quinn is a Ph.D. in psychology and how manipulative she can be," the vigilante replied, shaking his head with a scowl as he reached the supercomputer.

"She's unpredictable, toxic, and a bad influence, and that's by default. Imagine the damage she could do if she actually tried to corrupt someone..." Nightwing concluded as he opened Harley's profile, gesturing towards the screen.

"You don't mean...?" Batgirl asked, her eyes widening in shock as realization finally dawned on her.

"Most likely..." Nightwing replied with another sigh. "I honestly don't know what Bruce is thinking..." he concluded, shaking his head in exasperated disapproval at his mentor's actions.

...

Somewhere in East Africa

Richard frowned, sighing as he looked down at the unconscious body of his former friend and fellow O-Sensei student, Benjamin Turner, better known as the Bronze Tiger.

They had both studied combat, history, philosophy, and science under the same master and learned martial arts together, becoming masters in their own right.

Richard and Benjamin, didn't part ways after the end of their training as O-Sensei had sent them on a trip to find their destiny, so they started traveling the world together.

Barney Ling, an agent of G.O.O.D (Global Organization of Organized Defense), soon found the two and recruited them into the mysterious global peace-keeping agency.

They did much good together, like breaking several human trafficking and sla*very rings in Africa and destroying more than one terrorist group that terrorized third world countries.

Finally, the two martial artists retired from the organization, opened a martial arts school in Manhattan, and managed to find peace, which proved to be short-lived, as O-Sensei's daughter, and Lady Shiva's sister, Carolyn Woosan, joined them there.

Carolynn's arrival triggered many chaotic events that started with her kidnap, Lady Shiva, joining the pair to rescue her sister, the death of Turner's sister, his fiance Miyoshi, and his eventual capture and brainwashing.

As the Bronze Tiger, Ben was feared around the world. The League's Sensei was sharp enough to ensure that Ben hardly ever took off the mask, sending him on a new mission as soon as he finished another.

He was at one point sent to murder Kathy Kane, the Batwoman. Shortly after he fought and defeated Batman, another assassin killed Kane. When Turner's memory started to return, the League of Assassins turned against him. And after a fight, he was soon taken to a hospital.

However, Turner's struggle didn't end there as Amanda Waller turned her eyes to the man and retrieved him from the hospital by sending a team comprising Rick Flag and the Nightshade.

Amanda Waller then recruited Turner into Suicide Squad with the promise to help him regain his memories, leading to the current situation.

Richard didn't know about any of this, and had assumed Turner to be dead. He wouldn't have known if Lady Shiva didn't inform him of Turner's fate to make him reconsider the wager she suggested.

Richard couldn't refuse the offer and immediately tracked down Turner into Africa, where Waller had sent him to complete one Suicidal task that no one else would do.

And although it took a lot of effort and no small amount of injuries, he managed to subdue his friend, and now it was only a matter of removing the tracking explosive chip in his head.

'Sorry, kid... looks like you'll have to suffer a little because of your foolish teacher...' Richard bitterly mused, sighing as he kneeled next to the unconscious body of his friend.

Richard had faith Gray would come out on top in the end, but he initially refused the wager as he didn't like the idea of exposing him to Lady Shiva. However, the revelation that his friend was still alive and in such dire circumstances left him with little choice.

'I'll make it up to him somehow...' he shook his head, turning to the dragon amulet his master had left him before choosing to pass away after living for over 150 years.

He winced in pain as the many wounds on his body flared because of the movement, but he gritted his teeth and pressed a finger to the back of Turner's head.

Richard took a deep breath and reached for the dragon amulet on his neck as he closed his eyes in concentration, channeling his energy towards Turner's head.

Finding the chip, Richard acted quickly, pushing it out with pure energy, only to snatch it and throw it away to explode a safe distance away from the pair.

He sighed again, frowning as he picked up his friend and started walking away.

"Come on, brother, let's get you out of here..."

...

Gotham

"Achoo...!" Gray sneezed as he reached for his apartment door, causing him to pause and look around. However, he soon shrugged and opened the door.

"Welcome home, Gray-ray!" Harley exclaimed, grinning in her spot in front of the television as she watched him enter the apartment, causing Gray to sigh as he ignored her, took out his laptop and immediately started working.